Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 25

Page 8

   Privacy Policy    |    Editorial Policy    |    Join the Association     |    List of Members    |    Contact us    |    Print this page

Randall Kingsley sent us this photo, he says

“Have taken a look from time to time at the Radschool Association Magazine and thought it was about time to provide an input.  Certainly brings back some great memories without being one to reflect too much on what we went through way back then. As an 18 Course Appy and then for a short while a RadtechG, I think it about time we moved the magazine onwards from Quad and CPN4 so have included a photo of the initial AN/FPN-802 famil course held at 1AD in late 1979.  Not sure if this kit is still going but others might know."

Back row L-R:   Greg Young, Randall Kingsley, Ron? Ramsay, Col Hill, Ted Ruddle, Graham? St Jack, Dave Pettigrew

Middle row L-R:   John Townsend, John Scholten, Steve Bray, Mike Nestor, Jim Males

Front Row L-R:   Gary Thomsen (we think!!), Linky Stroude, Kev Leslie, Terry Grace

National Service in 1955

Ken Hunt did Nashos in the RAAF at Ballarat back in 1955. This is how he remembers it.

National Service in the RAAF was for a total of 22 weeks (154 days).  For the benefit of some students it could be broken into two three months stints beginning in January each year.  The balance were accepted either January or June for about 5 months training.  Our intake, the 13th, started along with the 12th (2 X 3 months) at Point Cook for about one week of kitting out and (very) basic training and issue of drabs etc (no blues).  During this short introduction we were sorted into our potential areas of ‘expertise’.  I remember being interviewed by a Squadron Leader; I had never seen one before. 

You can imagine how nervous an 18 year old civilian would be.  He asked me eventually ‘could you draw the circuit of a simple valve amplifier’ when I did he stopped me as I started to put values on each resistor.  They split us into groups and I recall about 25 were off to Ballarat and most of the rest (100s) were off to Laverton for Aerodrome Defence

After about a week we were off to Ballarat by train.  The first thing that I remember was the issue of 5 blankets; gee it did get cold in May-June. The Apprentices were already there as well as ‘last years’ split intake flight and of course the regulars.  Most of the regulars seemed to be on course and naturally there were Admin and lecture staff.  Two flights of the newcomers were split into the 77 day this year flight and ours, about twelve in each.  The permanent guys had bedrooms, two to a room I think while we had 12 in each hut.

Our furniture was a fold up bed, good for jokes, a tall cupboard, a set of drawers and a small mat.  Home.

Our regular routine was radio instruction five days a week with Cpl ‘Mack’ MacDonald, drill each Saturday with Sgt Fred Hyam (ex British Army).  At the end of our time we graduated as Radio Serviceman, so as not to be confused with the longer training of Techs etc.

If you did not go to church on Sunday mornings, you inevitably finished up in the kitchen.  Each Sunday afternoon we were allowed out.  We soon found that the church bus would drop you off at the Ballarat Hotel, just off Sturt Street.  We did sometimes get to church, mainly looking for girls.  No leave through the week and weekend leave every 5 weeks or so.  (Left: Our radio instructor, Cpl ‘Mack’ MacDonald)

We started off our Radio training with static electricity, then DC, AC, audio RF and eventually a week or so of Radar.  Ballarat at that time had one of three Ground Controlled Approach units.  One other each in East Sale and Darwin.

The ‘experienced’ guys put us at ease with a few bits of local advice.  When and where to go over the wire fence and hitch hike into town.  Four of us solved that worry, we bought a 1929 A model Ford tourer.  We were each from interstate, so could not go home to Melbourne for leave.  We soon realised that the after hours Main Gate guard was either an Apprentice or a Nasho.  We often gave them lifts into town so no one was concerned whether we were in camp or AWOL. 

I recall the night before our final, Radio 111, exam.  Our entire flight, less one, went to the pictures in town.  We all sat in a line, in uniform, as three officers and their wives sat behind us and just said ‘Good evening’. I am sure that the whole camp was aware of our ‘roaming’ and only once was anything said.

The Nashos three huts were just out of the photo, on the right.

At Easter things were arranged for us to take our two days leave plus Good Friday but we should be back Easter Monday for more Drill etc.  We went to Adelaide and did not leave there till Easter Monday. 

When we returned on Monday evening our mates told us that we were in big trouble.  They said "Go to the pictures (they were on twice a week) and tell Sgt Hyam what went wrong".  The Sgt was only concerned that he would be in trouble with the WOD.. 

The next afternoon I was off to the toilet or somewhere and the Chief Instructor, Sqn Ldr Webster, asked me ‘did you get away for the weekend Airman?”  “Yes Sir we did”  “Did you get back on time”  “No sir, we had trouble with the car”  “That’s bad luck”. 

I believe that he was a civilian from one of the Melbourne colleges.

Superman Course??

We think this photo is of a Superman course, but apart from that we don’t have any further details. Kev Rosser has identified 3 of the bods, they are Back Row, far right Ken Graham,  Middle Row, 4^th in from the right, Bill Gibson,  and in the Front Row, 2^nd from the right is Milo Kopreck.

Can anyone help us with more detail??

3 Squadron.

We think this photo was taken at RAAF Williamtown on the 19 SEP 1989 and is 3 Squadron taken on the occasion of the Squadron’s 73rd Birthday. 3 Squadron was formed at Point Cook in 1916. Initially, they were called 69 Australian Squadron, Royal Flying Corps but three months later, this was changed by War Office Memorandum dated 31st March, 1917, to 69 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps and it first fought in France under that designation until, on the 20th of January 1918, the Squadron officially became  3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps.

The bloke out the front in the photo above (we think) would be their CO who looks like WGCDR Bob Treloar who went on the become an AVM.

No 3 Squadron received its first Hornets in 1986 – the same year this model Fairlane was in the new car showrooms - yep, that’s how long we’ve had them.

A Woman's Rule of Thumb: If it has tyres or testicles, you're going to have trouble with it.

Back     Go to page:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19     Forward